The Brantford Bulldogs have seen eleven players depart the Bell City for NHL camps clear across North America this week, headlined by a trio of first round selections.
Captain Jake O’Brien leads the contingent as he makes his way to the pacific northwest for Seattle Kraken camp. Selected 8th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, O’Brien continues to make Bulldogs history. The franchise record holder for rookie scoring and most points in a players first two OHL seasons, 162, O’Brien attends his first NHL Training Camp coming off a 98-point season in 2024-25 and becoming the youngest captain in Bulldogs franchise history.
O’Brien’s linemate Marek Vanacker, selected 27th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, heads to the Windy City but doesn’t go alone. Vanacker is joined by Parker Holmes who was selected in the 4th round, 107th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. After leading the Bulldogs in scoring with 36 goals & 82 points across 68 games in the 2023-24 season, Vanacker returned from off-season surgery to post 24 goals & 42 points in 45 games during the 2024-25 season before posting 11 points in 11 games in the 2025 OHL Playoffs. The 6’4”, 223lbs Holmes skated in 21 games in the 2024-25 season before injury cut his season short but the size and potential of the South Mountain product was just too much for the Blackhawks to pass on as Holmes heads to his first NHL Training Camp ahead of a big season for the Bulldogs. The Brantford duo will be joined at Hawks camp by Nick Lardis coming off a historic 2024-25 where the gifted sniper posted franchise records with 71 goals & 117 points.
Adam Jiricek completes the Bulldogs’ first round trio on the blueline as the 16th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft heads to his second NHL Training Camp in St. Louis. Jiricek’s first season in North America saw the brilliant blueliner skate in 27 games for the Bulldogs recording 12 points and captured his second World Junior bronze medal posting 5 assists in 7 games while anchoring the Czechia defense in a great performance on the international stage. With injury woes in his rear-view mirror, Jiricek is looking forward to a big season in 2025-26.
Joining Jiricek from Czechia with the Bulldogs is the 104th overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Adam Benak. The Minnesota Wild prospect’s resume was already stacked before arriving at the Madhouse on Marker, breaking the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup points record, scoring 21 points across 10 games and winning silver medals at both the 2023 and 2024 tournaments was added too after being named an Assistant Captain for the Czechia U18 team at the 2025 World Championship, where he led the team in scoring. Benak suited up for 1 Brantford pre-season game before heading to the Land of 10,000 Lakes recording 3 assists and giving Bulldogs fans another big reason for excitement.
One year prior to Benak, Owen Protz was the 104th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens and heads to La Belle Province for his 2nd Training Camp with the Habs. After being acquired from the Sudbury Wolves at the 2024 OHL Trade Deadline, Protz has become a foundational piece with the Bulldogs. Coming off a breakout season in 2024-25 that saw the 6’2”, 207lbs blueliner post 5 goals & 27 assists for 32 points, Protz was recalled to Laval to be around for the Rocket playoff run.
One of the newest Brantford Bulldogs keeps the camp tour in Canada as Sam McCue heads to Toronto for his 2nd NHL Training Camp. The 216th overall selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft has made the pick look like a stroke of genius. After posting 23 goals & 47 points in 68 games in the 2023-24 season, McCue piled it on in 2024-25 potting 36 goals, including 18 in his last 20 games, and 55 points in 55 games. The Sudbury product will look to make his mark in Toronto before returning to Brantford to help lead the Bulldogs.
Just across the border another 2024 Bulldogs trade addition in Ryerson Leenders sets for his 2nd NHL Training Camp after being selected by the Buffalo Sabres 219th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Nanticoke product returned close to home to play in the Bell City and turned in his best season in the OHL in doing so. Piling up 31 wins with a 3.11 / .910 stat line, Leenders was even better in the post-season with a 2.71 / .911 line across 8 post-season appearances. In addition to OHL excellence, Leenders preps for Sabres camp with gold medals at both the Hlinka-Gretzky & U18 for Team Canada on his resume.
Signed during the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, where he went 188th overall to the Winnipeg Jets, Edison Engle comes to Brantford after splitting 2023-24 between Des Moines & Dubuque. It was with the Fighting Saints where Engle took off, posting 13 points off the blueline in 34 games, adding another 4 in 7 playoff games. The smooth-skating Arlington Heights, Illinois product turned heads at the Hlinka-Gretzky and World Junior A Challenge before making his way to the Bulldogs where he’s been a standout through training camp and pre-season and will now look to make a lasting impact in Winnipeg.
The Bulldogs will also send a pair of invitees to Columbus camp with Josh Avery & Ryder Boulton heading to Ohio. Avery comes off 9 goals & 21 points across 53 games as an OHL rookie while Boulton reports to Blue Jackets camp off back-to-back OHL Championships and the 2025 Memorial Cup.
